Cullen McCrate represents the USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup
EDMONTON, ALBERTA – While the U.S. team was hoarding Olympic medals in Paris a few weeks ago, another U.S. team was representing the country in Canada.
From August 3-10, USA Hockey competed against teams from Canada, Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Finland in the annual Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which pits the world’s best hockey players under the age of 18 against each other for their home countries.
Representing the United States was Cullen McCrate of Adrian, a former Tecumseh High School student who transferred to begin his professional career.
“It was unbelievable,” McCrate said of seeing his name on a USA Hockey jersey. “We went into the locker room and I played a video and my jaw dropped. I felt super honored to represent the country, play for the country and try to win a gold medal.”
McCrate and the rest of the U.S. team narrowly missed their goals, finishing fourth in the tournament. But for McCrate and the rest of the team, this experience was one of many they want to have in order to become the next American stars on the ice.
The USA finished 2-1 in the group stage, with a narrow 1-2 loss to the Czech Republic, a 3-1 win over Finland and a clear 12-3 victory over Germany. In the semifinals, the team lost 5-1 to Canada, in a game in which McCrate was actually injured, and then lost the bronze medal game 6-3 to Sweden.
“This kid came late and hit me, so I reversed him,” he said. “My shoulder dislocated right when I hit him. I can’t train for two weeks and I’m doing physical therapy.”
Despite his injury, the 1.90 m tall and 93 kg defender describes the game against Canada as the best of his life.
“The atmosphere was amazing,” McCrate said. “They had cameramen, a drone up there and you’re on TV, it was super cool. When we played in Canada, it was packed, people were screaming and yelling and we fed off that energy.”
Now McCrate will move to Dubuque, Iowa, where he will play a few seasons for the USHL Fighting Saints before returning to Michigan to play for Michigan State.
“It’s the best junior hockey league to play in,” he said. “Our team has class time and then you have practice. Between 1 and 2 p.m. your day is over and you can go home and do homework or whatever you need to do. I was there in November and it was weird being away from my family at such a young age.”
“Doing this now will be strange at first. My brother is also gone, so my parents are losing their youngest. It will be hard.”
Hopefully Cullen’s parents, Troy and Marcy McCrate, won’t have to wait long for him to play for the Spartans near home again.
“I committed to UMass Lowell in October,” he said. “But my dad told me I wasn’t happy about it. I knew I would be better off, so I backed out, and Michigan State immediately committed.”
Perhaps no one is more excited than Cullen’s mother, Marcy.
“My mother was there once,” he said. “My parents are very happy, but it’s even worse for my mother. She cries because I’m leaving, but I keep telling her that I’ll be back home in a few years.”
